Years from now, when the world looks back at 2020, the big story is going to be the global coronavirus pandemic. However, there are lots of smaller stories that make up that big-picture view, and one of the most interesting is in the retail sector and the real estate investment trusts (REITs) that operate there.
Here's why long-term investors should analyze the real effects of 2020 and use that knowledge to perhaps fuel a decision to buy this cheap retail-related REIT as 2021 gets underway.
As 2020 got underway, the retail sector was dealing with the slow-moving retail apocalypse. On the surface, the problem was the consumer shift toward online shopping, but it really wasn't that simple. Yes, the internet was an issue, but so was the fact that retailers had fallen behind consumer trends (including product selections and store experiences), and many had over-leveraged their balance sheets. The weakest players were going bankrupt, and even some of the stronger names were closing stores.
Source Fool.com